Natural Wood cased accordions

[Mike t.]

I’ve been playing and going to jams with the old time fiddlers and with other old timey groups. I’ve been having a great time and have been looking at this next summer music camp outs. I would think a natural wooden cased accordion would appear to others in that genre to be more folksy? I just saw a used wooden cased accordion and got to thinking… what’s your views? Are they more fragile? So far nobody has scoffed at me jamming with them, or maybe they are too polite with my glitzy accordion!

 

[SteveBox]

I've been playing folk music on natural wood cased accordions for 20 years. Considering that almost all accordions are wood cased, it would be hard to claim this makes them more fragile. The only difference is whether the wood is covered in celluloid. They do tend to be more expensive, since furniture quality hardwood and finishing is used so they look nice. Many accordion manufacturers offer these. For folk music, you might want to consider a smaller size instrument, since the full-size ones are overkill for folk music.

 

[losthobos]

I had heard rumours that natural wood accordions were becoming more the norm as health and safety standards have risen and inhaling cellulose is not considered very good long term for the human lung ...I don't know if there is any truth in this...

 

[debra]

I'm not a fan of the "pure wood" accordions because anything that happens to the outer shell is harder to repair than with celluloid (and more likely to not be reparable without leaving visible traces of the damage). Minor damage is also more likely to occur at "gigs" than when you are practicing in the comfort of your home.
That said, some people do claim to hear a subtle difference between otherwise identical accordions (same model, one with celluloid, the other pure wood). It certainly requires hearing them side by side to notice the difference.
It is good that accordion manufacturers are prepared for the inevitable period that will come where the use of celluloid will become illegal (mostly because of the fire hazard, with toxic fumes as well). But if I were to buy yet another accordion I would still go for a celluloid-covered one, and also certainly in black.

 

[Dingo40]

what’s your views? Are they more fragile?

Finishing wood with a coating of durable finish like celluloid or polyurethane ( as in gunstocks) really does strengthen the entire item and protects it from dirt, stains and minor impacts to which untreated wood is vulnerable.

 

[Tom]

I think the wood ones look more folksy and cool than the celluloid ones, no doubt. I suspect they are as durable but, as noted, may be more prone to scratches and dings. Wood finish accordions known here as “melodeon” have been around forever with no problems.

It’s the scratches and dings that make them more authentic folksy looking, though. In fact, like guitars, I wonder if any company makes them “pre stressed”?

Finally, for me, it’s not the meat, it’s the motion. If you are an amazing player, a tin can will look good. If you’re a hack like me, a $20,000 wooden jobber’s not gonna help.

 

[Walker]

I wholeheartedly endorse wooden cased accordions, but with some caveats.

A resounding YES to the folk-styled Saltarelle Cleggan!

An even bigger YES to the folk-styled Castagnari Magica!

However, I have had a change of heart on the 'deluxe' cassotto offerings from Victoria, Brandoni, Petosa, Siwa & Figli etc. While they certainly look impressive wooden specimens, they are overly fancy, too large, too bulky, and far too 'mellow' to be at home in folk music. Where is the 'zingy' violin, the bandoneon that 'bubbles over,' or the sweet, reedy clarinet? Thing is, the ornate wooden Poeta and similar models are much better suited for a Jazz bar than a folk session.

'But,' you may say, 'Saltarelle and Castagnari are really expensive for their size and features' Yes, that is true; you could buy a nice preowned grand piano for the price of a Castagnari Magica. However, it is all relative! For instance, if you were to request a quote from the artisan maker of tiny, knee-perched Portative Organs with only a 2-octave keyboard, a bellows, no bass, and 24 dinky pipes, you might pay DOUBLE the price. Makes a Castagnari Magica seem cheap! Admittedly, with a Portative Organ on your knee you would have to forego the 'hillbilly' squeezebox player vibe. Apparently, there's a warning label on Portative Organs advising you may experience symptoms of becoming timeless and graceful. People may want to paint you in the renaissance style and you might well be immortalised in oil on canvas. Hmmm... I guess you get what you pay for.​

For those who don't know what a Portative organ is:


And here's a review of the button version of the Magica. The significantly better piano accordion version is also available.


Finally, for what it's worth, I believe some colours of celluloid, brown pearloid (tortoiseshell finish), are just as appealing as a wood-finished accordion, and they are more durable than a wood finish. I must admit, I do not particularly favour black celluloid on anything other than a 'classical' accordion.

 

[JerryPH]

My opinion is that wood looks nice, but then again, so does a perfectly celluloid covered box as well. I don't think it a question of a wooden box being "folksy", for example, I would not call a Siwa-Figli Bayan Academy, Scandalli Intense 37 or Petosa Artista Pro XT as being folksy at all but truly high end accordions with a wood finish.

Everyone has their own "feelings" when they look at a box, but fragility comes from the way the accordion is made (or not made), not by it's outside color or final finish (glitzy Petosa Artistas like you and I own included. ).

 

[SteveBox]

I think to be "folksy" an accordion also has to be small. I used to own a full-size Giulietti, and although nobody said anything, I felt out of place sitting in with fiddles, flutes, and banjos with that huge and heavy instrument. It was overkill with more range and registers than I needed. However, I do know of some great traditional folk musicians who play large accordions. It is a personal preference.

 

[JerryPH]

It is a personal preference.

Bingo, that about covers 99% of all people... lol

 

[losthobos]

You gotta play what you got.... ain't no king fashion show bro....

 

[Walker]

I think to be "folksy" an accordion also has to be small.

I didn't want to be 'that guy,' and I wasn't going to say anything. However, I'm not quite sure 'folksy' is the right word here, although it seems to be basking in the limelight tonight. 'Folksy' in my neck of the woods has certain negative connotations. Definition of 'folksy': having the characteristics of traditional culture and customs, especially in a contrived or artificial way. Related terms: Pseudo-folklore, Fakelore. Also see 'Folk Hipster.' Example: See that folk hipster drinking kombucha? He sure can play that folksy music on his artificially-distressed, walnut, Miguel Gramontain.

Perhaps 'folky' is more flattering than 'folksy.'

That's all folks. ​

 

[SteveBox]

Yes, "folksy" is probably not the best word. Certainly, play whatever you currently have. BUT, if you are in the market for another accordion and you are playing PRIMARILY folk music, then consider a small accordion to fit in with the small, simple, mostly wood instruments played at traditional folk sessions.

 

[Ventura]

woodies are nice.. some are made to look more old fashioned (like mine)
the pre-war styles, some are nice and neat and have specific targeted
tonality.. some are modern and very Italian sounding and feeling

but other styles do work in ethnic and less formal circles too

a clean red accordion seems to sneak past those anti-accordion types
pretty easily.. especially because most of the 41/120's were non-chambered
LMMH and so are thinner, not bulky looking at all.. no backpads.. pick it up
sling it over your shoulder and come and go.. not scary at all

and of course if you ever score a real golden age little red Paolo
they will kiss your a__ __ to come play in their folk circle

those LMM LMH and LMMH 2 toned cream and blue accordions
like the accordianna's and coronets play Country music quite well
and fit right in with Boots and Hats amd Harmonicas and Fiddles

don't forget the solid cream colored 3/4 size Bell and Pan (better) student models..
they look very friendly, play nice, sing sweet, and plenty of 'em still around

 

[Mike t.]

If you also had a smaller folky accordion, would you ever pickup your big one again? (age could/will be a factor someday I hope!) I do believe in playing what you have, and love the sound of my beast. There’s a few songs I would have to have the diminished chord row, but wouldn’t when playing fiddle tunes in a jam setting, and the big question? would I look good on canvas? Or does that only apply to Portative Organs?

 

[Mike t.]

woodies are nice.. some are made to look more old fashioned (like mine)
the pre-war styles, some are nice and neat and have specific targeted
tonality.. some are modern and very Italian sounding and feeling

but other styles do work in ethnic and less formal circles too

a clean red accordion seems to sneak past those anti-accordion types
pretty easily.. especially because most of the 41/120's were non-chambered
LMMH and so are thinner, not bulky looking at all.. no backpads.. pick it up
sling it over your shoulder and come and go.. not scary at all

and of course if you ever score a real golden age little red Paolo
they will kiss your a__ __ to come play in their folk circle

those LMM LMH and LMMH 2 toned cream and blue accordions
like the accordianna's and coronets play Country music quite well
and fit right in with Boots and Hats amd Harmonicas and Fiddles

don't forget the solid cream colored 3/4 size Bell and Pan (better) student models..
they look very friendly, play nice, sing sweet, and plenty of 'em still around

I have to ask, what kind of old fashioned looking accordion do you have?

 

[Ventura]

a FisItalia LMMM
from a gentle Waltz to a nice Italian Mazurka musette
and sweet sounding

the design element that really makes it look old style
is the grille is a metal onlay, with separate wood sides like
we saw pre-war and in the 1940's very early 50's
rather than a cowl type grille, but it has more squared
bellows corners too and artsy stuff in the bellows folds
and new york type squared wood body accents

pro quality, i have gigged with it plenty.. solidly made

 

[debra]

Bingo, that about covers 99% of all people... lol

And the 1% remaining are probably accordion repairers... (who cannot do a very good job on repairing pure-wood accordions that took a tumble).

 

[OuijaBoard]

I’ve been playing and going to jams with the old time fiddlers and with other old timey groups. I’ve been having a great time and have been looking at this next summer music camp outs. I would think a natural wooden cased accordion would appear to others in that genre to be more folksy? I just saw a used wooden cased accordion and got to thinking… what’s your views? Are they more fragile? So far nobody has scoffed at me jamming with them, or maybe they are too polite with my glitzy accordion!

I'm assuming you're talking about PA? For the specific use-case and context you mention, I'd want the smallest PA I could find. A 34/72 would be the largest I'd go, and honestly, old-time tunes that can't be played on a 26-key would be few to none. I take a recent blue MM Asian Hohner 26/48 to Irish and Scottish sessions and rehearsals, where it is more than equal sound and response-wise to playing tunes. For actual performances of this type of music, I have a couple of Italian 26-key LMMs, one a 30-year-old Zero Sette in red, and the other a 4 year old black Paolo Soprani 26/60 LMM with a red bellows. (I don't like black accordions and my first choice for the Paolo would have been a color, but I lucked into this one used in near-new condition and was grateful to find it, as my home was ransacked by burglars over the February 2023 Presidents holiday weekend and there were devastating losses in accordions.) The red Zero Sette was also a used find and there is just something about a red accordion for Irish and Scottish trad! Another player in the large Scottish ensemble I perform with uses a vintage red 26-key West German Hohner.

The accordions I mentioned above are celluloid. I've had wood-chassis bisonorics and still have a couple of 15-ish-year-old Irish B/C Castagnaris the burglars missed. The wood-chassis boxes tend to be pricy, especially with PAs and CBAs, and it's true it shows dings and scratches. In the Scottish and Irish scenes a lot of PA players seem to favor the MM 34/60 Saltarelle Clifden. They're lightweight handmade-reed premium instruments that look and sound beautiful, but they cost an arm and a leg and I don't like the lap-to-chin height. A "shorter" 30 or 26-key is a lot of fun for something like oldtime music.

A new member recently showed up to a session with a huge PA and immediately began to make an annoying, intrusive amount of noise over-using their PA basses--try to avoid the crashing, blasting PA basses and chords in the oldtime context, as the oldtime and Celtic genres are melody genres.

 

[Walker]

If you also had a smaller folky accordion, would you ever pickup your big one again? (age could/will be a factor someday I hope!) I do believe in playing what you have, and love the sound of my beast. There’s a few songs I would have to have the diminished chord row, but wouldn’t when playing fiddle tunes in a jam setting, and the big question? would I look good on canvas? Or does that only apply to Portative Organs?

Hi @Mike t. Your antique-styled Petosa with all the Swarovski crystals, the 'wing' edge on the keyboard, the diamond grille design and mother of pearl keys would be a definite 'WIN' in folk styles, especially bluegrass and old-time fiddle music. No issues with that accordion at all! It's not like you're putting on a Jupiter bayan to accompany 'Blue Moon of Kentucky.' I also think our friend @Ventura is spot-on; red pearloid celluloid is a passport into folk music! Personally, I'd not want less than 34 keys & 96 bass, and I'd be happy with 37 keys & 96 bass too. I'm, erm, of 'robust' construction.

As for the portrait... If you want that look that says 'I distil my own moonshine,' then wear a wood accordion. Otherwise, go for the renaissance man vibe with 'looking into the distance' pose and a Portative Organ perched on your knee... it could change your life.